So new delivery this week. My daughter based in London thought i might like this as a late Christmas present. So now i have two CD Alpha717DRs guess i can keep one for spares or if it checks out ok let it go back into the wild. Family shot looks kinda cool.

@Sansui77, on that i have to agree. Beautiful table but somewhat difficult to come by here in Oz at a reasonable price. I have had a couple of cracks on ones listed ob Ebay in the US but they go for big $$ especially when adding postage and our poor exchange rate.

Gee @BLAH BLAH, @Willmax and @Sansui77 its a tough crowd to work with this weekend.😀I have been agonising which way to go with the SR 838. Leave it with the X901 or the CA BA 2000 combo. For me i just don't think it is quite the right bit of kit for the 901 or the alpa907. i think i like the CA BA combo just a little bit more.

So it didn't quite make it here for Christmas like i had hoped but make it, it finally did. Sansui CD alpha717DR, 230 volt with remote in near mint condition. It really amazed me the difference in build compared to the CD X701i larger in size and weight and for me more beautiful with the wooden cheek plates. Looks nice sitting with the matching amp shame there is no quality turntable that could match up.

Ok team lets put this into perspective first currently in the Sansui cave in the way of amplifiers we have the following:
AU 505, 555A, 666, 777, 777A, 888, 7700, 717
8080
AU X901
CA/BA 2000
So to my way of thinking a good cross section of Sansui amps from the first solid state to one of the last in the latest purchase the alpha907DR. Now i have really loved the older amps for their warm sound and beautiful design but today after fitting a new oz type plug and firing the DR up Wow Wow Wow! @huxmut i only had the Celestial DL10 and a set of B&W 220 to play through but with The Who Who's Next playing through the Sansui CD X701 it was as if Keith was on his kit right in front of me. Daltreys vocals hit new highs.
Really can't wait to do a speaker upgrade ready for the move to the new Sansui Cave but struggling as yet to make choice.
@pete_mac @Cafad I really can see why you hold these alphas in such high regard they take it to a whole new level.

So seems to be de rigueur to post nude pics of recently acquired Sansui amplifiers around here, so who am i to argue. Considering i still haven't been able to power her up i decided to nude her up for a peek and a bit of a clean. Not bad i thought, but the most exciting bit is just taking in the build quality, the massive tranny, heat sinks it is really the reason i have lusted after one of these for quite a while. (just don't tell the wife)

Thanks guys, these alphas are a thing of beauty. I haven't hook it up for two reasons one of which is the photo below (chaos) the other is my polish friend removed the UK adapted plug so i have to replace it with an Oz one.
@huxmut speakers are going to be a quandary. I have the Celestion DL10s which i use with my X901 at 150 watt but i have been on the hunt for something more modern for a little while now using you other owners as reference source.

So i will lay this one clearly at the feet of @Cafad spurred on by his wonderful reviews of the alphas i thought i had better find myself one. Unfortunately missed out on an 907 MRX a few weeks before so the 907 DR it would be then. A few chips here and there though nothing that can't be fixed but the clincher for me is stamped on the back 230 volts so no step down. Its fresh out the shipping box and i must say it was the best packed piece of gear i have ever received she's dusty and a little bit dirty and omg she is heavy. It was bought from a Polish builder in London who is part of that Polish sansui cult in Europe so he made sure it would survive the journey.
And a special thank you to @Cafad for his advice on the purchase.

Well guys, seems this add excited a few of us. I saw it early Sunday morning offered the asking. Later in the day got a message back to say "could i pick it up now". i answered no but would come down and get the next day or so send me your address. Never heard from him again.

Mate, this is what you need. A lot of work though wiring up the components as i still haven't completed it and i have had it a couple of months. I got it off the tree for $150 he still has another but its a National Technics one and far more sophisticated than the Sansui.

So up until now of Thorens has been the dominant brand. That changed last week with the purchase of a very nice looking Sansei SR 838. It hasn't seen a lot of work over the past few years so the seller decided to offload. Issues are the usual, one foot missing due to disintegration, and some scuffs on the dust cover but overall it present quite well i think, the weekend will entail some polishing and searching for the best replacement for the feet.
Cheers

So the injured 777a was packed off to my local old school tech guy as our resident gurus were already under the pump with other gear to fix. Got it back this week after replacement of some output capacitors, a couple of out of spec others, service and a new power cord. She now not only looks great but sounds the part as well. I really believe these amps deserve the reputation they have. Doing back to backs with the X901 was fun two different sounds but both very enjoyable in their own way. The 901 very crisp but i do like the body an old sansui amp seems to give the music like big barrosan red wine not always to everyones taste but to its mothers milk.